Missing
by cursetheflame
Summary: [Inuyasha x Kagome] MISSING: one young miko answering to the name of Kagome. LAST SEEN: the Sengoku Jidai. IF FOUND: please contact one panicking half demon. REWARD: Feh.


**Title:** Missing

**Summary:**  
MISSING: one young miko-in-training answering to the name of Kagome.  
LAST SEEN: the Sengoku Judai.  
IF FOUND: please contact one panicking half-demon.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the Inu-tachi; that honor belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. I can pretend, though, right?

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Kagome sleepily opened one of her brown eyes, the other squinting against the bright full moon light. Based on the still quiet of the night and the dying embers of the fire, she had only been asleep for a few hours. However, taking advantage of her companion's exhaustion-induced slumber, she knew it was time to go.

She gently slipped out of the sleeping bag she shared with Shippo, taking care not to wake the kitsune. Then, tiptoeing around the campsite so that Inuyasha's dog-styled ears would not pick up her footsteps, she reached for her worn, yellow knapsack before heading off into the trees.

Once she was certain that the others' sleep had been undisturbed, Kagome began to run. She was quite eager to get this over with.

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Inuyasha's golden eyes sprung open and, at once, he knew something was amiss. From his perch in the tree he had a great view of the camp – so that's where he turned his eyes first.

His eyes sought out and found Miroku first; it was usually he who was the cause of most of the trouble the other's encountered. But the lecherous monk was asleep, lying as close to Sango as he dared. Kirara, the demon slayer's faithful fire cat, slept between the pair, preserving her mistress's chastity while keeping the monk's roving hands in check.

With a quiet snort, Inuyasha then looked down upon the spot where he had seen Kagome lay out her sleeping bag mere hours prior. From his height, he could make out a tiny bulge in the material – Shippo. But no Kagome. Kagome was not in her bedroll.

Kagome was missing.

His first instinct was to find her through her scent; he was part dog demon after all. He leapt down from the tree and landed just next to the camp. Lifting his nose into the air, he took a few deep sniffs.

The first thing he noted was how quickly her scent was fading across the air – Kagome was running.

_Feh_, he thought to himself, preparing to follow the scent, _she must have decided to go to her time through that stupid well of hers. I ain't gonna let her get past me that easily though._

But, just as he was about to head off after her, Inuyasha spied Kagome's strange yellow bag laying to the side of her sleeping space. _Hmm, Kagome would never leave this behind_, he thought as he reached for the bag and, using one of his claws, picked it up.

Knowing that she would not have gone to the well without her bag, Inuyasha began to grow worried. He lifted his nose into the air again and inhaled once more, separating her scent from the rest. This time he regarded it more closely and was surprised to notice a slight difference to it – it seemed tainted, almost as if there was blood surrounding her.

The hanyou stopped breathing for a moment. Had Kagome been hurt? His thought deserted the well and focused on Naraku and his incarnations. Was it possible that she had been attacked or kidnapped? _After all, it wouldn't be the first time_, he thought guiltily. Being attacked, kidnapped, cursed or held for ransom seemed to be the norm for Kagome when she was with Inuyasha.

But the group had not heard anything about Naraku for quite some time – and Inuyasha was positive that he would recognize the scent of Naraku immediately. Also, as he found no dominate aura of yokai anywhere nearby, especially mingled with Kagome's scent, he was sure that she hadn't been abducted or harmed by Naraku.

He nearly let out a sigh of relief before another idea surfaced. Could Kikyo have come by and sent her reincarnation off? It was difficult for Inuyasha to trace the dead miko; he usually relied on her to confront him when they met.

_But_, he asked himself, _if Kikyo is around, who shall I go after? Should I search for her or follow Kagome's scent?_

Inuyasha shook his head, the moonlight glinting off of his long white hair as he did so. Kagome was missing! Of course he had to go after her.

Because her scent was fading quickly through the nighttime air, Inuyasha stooped down and breathed in the scent of the sleeping bag, hoping to catch some other hint to her disappearance.

At once, still clutching her yellow knapsack in his claws, he jumped back. The taint of scent was stronger but it was not unpleasant to his sensitive nose. In fact, her scent became tantalizing as it caused him to become fairly aroused.

Leaning forward, Inuyasha took a tentative sniff but there was no denying his reaction. Something about her scent was crying out to him – almost as if she was crying out to him.

He made up his made for the umpteenth time to after her at once – she needed him! But, before he could move, another thought occurred to him, more horrifying than his earlier ones.

What if Kouga had come and stolen her away?

Forgetting his earlier observation that no strong demonic auras were present, Inuyasha began to snarl. How dare that stupid wolf come and cause such a change to her scent! And the blood – what kind of bastard would shed Kagome's blood?

His ears dropped and his snarls ceased when he remembered that her scent was fading. She wasn't running toward the camp – she was running away from it. What if she wanted to run away with Kouga?

What if she had cut herself and shed her own blood in her haste to run away from Inuyasha?

Or, what if…

"Sit!"

Inuyasha fell down, just missing Shippo, the yellow knapsack falling between him and the ground. The kitsune, as if the force of the subjugation was nothing more than midnight breeze, sniffled once before snuggling deeper into the folds of Kagome's sleeping bag.

Kagome stalked over to the fallen hanyou, her hands on her hips. She bent down and pulled her bag out from under him. "Inuyasha! What are you doing going through my things at this hour?" she asked angrily, shaking the smushed bag at him.

Inuyasha didn't answer her until the spell had been lifted. Once he was able to move, her jumped to his feet and glared at her. "Where is he? Where's the stupid wolf?" he hissed, aware of the others' sleeping nearby; however, if a crashing half-demon didn't wake them, a normal Kagome-Inuyasha argument would probably not phase them either.

Kagome tried to maintain her furious glare, but her face betrayed her as her brow furrowed in confusion. "Kouga? I don't know. Where is he?"

"Well, if he's not with you, where the hell have you been?" Inuyasha asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kagome opened her mouth to answer his question but paused. In the faint moonlight, he could make out a crimson stain crossing her delicate features. "Nowhere," she mumbled, turning away from him.

He reached forward, placing his claws gingerly but firmly on her shoulders before wheeling her around to face forward. "If you weren't out with Kouga, where did you go? I woke up and you were gone! You had me worried, Kagome." As he spoke his voice came out in a strained whisper; he had not forgotten his previous arousal to her scent. Now, standing this close to her, he was finding it hard to focus – and, for some reason, the sensation seemed quite familiar and quite natural.

He wasn't sure if she was aware of his discomfort; if not, it was only because she was mortified herself. "I..uh..I was..I was just taking a walk," she finished lamely, her hair hanging in her face as she looked at the ground.

Inuyasha stepped away from her and turned his back on her. "Fine, don't tell me. It doesn't matter."

"Good," she answered, "and, now, if you don't mind," she continued before tossing her backpack to the side, "I'm going back to—"

"Where did you go?" he interrupted, his curiosity getting the better of him. His desire to know what she had been up to was the only thing keeping his mind off of her scent. When she didn't respond, he began to ask her again. "Kagome, where—"

"I had to go take care of woman things!" she yelled in frustration.

Inuyasha's mouth dropped. Of course she had smelt so tantalizing and familiar – Kagome was in heat.

Kagome, though highly embarrassed at her confession, allowed a small grin of satisfaction at his expression. "Good night, Inuyasha," she said after a moment's pause. Then, without an answer, she began to crawl back inside her sleeping bag.

Inuyasha watched her get inside her bag, gently moving Shippo over, before going to sleep. It was only then when he found his voice. "Night, Kagome," he answered before jumping up back into his tree.


End file.
